Hinge for box-couches.



No; 629,!3l. Patented July l8, |8 99..

,T. KEELY."

muss FOB BOX coucHEs.

(Applies-tick filed Apr, 22, 1899.)

' mq II odgl.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS KEEjLY, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA.

HINGE FoRBox-coucHEs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,131, dated July 18,1899; Application filed. April 22,1899. steam. 714,059. ca modelJ To all whom, it rnay concern-.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS KEELY, .acitizen of the United States, residing at 109E street northeast, Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hinges for Box-Couches and Similar Articles and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in hinges for box-couches and similar articles in which two levers, one of which is extensible, pivotal means between said levers, and a spring combine, the objects of which combination are to provide a simple and edective mechanism by which the necessity for moving a couch or similar article away from the wall or adjacent object to afford space for an upholstered cover when lifted is obviated by advancing the rear edge of the cover uponthe box' or body simultaneously with the lifting thereof, so that at no timeduring such lifting will any part of the cover project beyond the rear line of the body, and also to counter act in a measure the dead-weight of the cover in lifting and closing. I attain these objects by the, mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an interior View in elevation of the end of a box-couch closed with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the cover lifted. Fig. 3 is a modified form of construction.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the body of the box or couch, and b the cover therefor. An angled lever c is pivoted upon the body a at d and hinged in any suitable manner, preferably by a bolt and nut, to the cover I) at .6. An extensible lever l, comprising the rod f, slidably mounted in the tubusaidtubular part being flattened av at i and hinged in any suitable manner to the cover I) at j. A link pivotally connects the lower ends of levers c and Z at points m and a, respectively. A spring 0 is pivoted to the cover I) at point p and to the body a at point q. A plate r may be provided to facilitate the application of the device to wooden surfaces and provide a pivot-hold for pivots at and I In Fig. 3 lever c is shown straight, the pivot d disposed at the lower end of same,

and the pivot m is disposed between pivots d and e, producing the same effect of rotating the two levers in opposite directions' Having described the several parts of .my

invention, the operation is as follows: When the cover I) is raised to a perpendicular position, spring 0 is passive, Fig. 2. When the cover I) is pulled forward and downward in closing, the extensible lever l is rotated upon its pivot 11, forcing link upward, which in turn rotates leverc upon its pivot din an opposite direction from that of lever l, carrying the cover backward and downward simultaneously with the lowering of the forward edge of the cover until the completion of the downward movement of the forward edge of the cover, when the rear edge of same will rest squarely upon the body a, flush with the rear edge of said body, while at no time during the operation will any part of the said cover project beyond the rear line of the body a.

It will be seen that it is a vital point that link 75 and lever 0 should not become centered at pivot m, and the same may be said of .the

link k and the lever Z at pivot-n.

The spring 0 is at its highest tension when the cover b is down, tending to pull said cover and lever a forward, which results in throwing link is and lever Z, bearing the forward part of the cover, upward. The tension of the spring may be so regulated asto approximately counteract, the weight of the cover and its upholsteri-ng, allowing the same to be raised and lowered more easily, the operator bearing buta minimum part of the weight.

However, the spring should not entirely counteract the weight of the cover, as it is desirable that the couch should remain closed without fastenings therefor.

Owing to the variable radius of the lever Z and corresponding parts in devices having the same object in view, I haveso constructed said lever as to overcome all hitherto-um solved problems of construction and provide a device which is simple and edective in'both structure and operation.-

It is obvious that numerous changes may 1 be made in the construction and arm ngement of the several parts of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim- 1. In combination with aboX-couch or similar article having a body portion and a cover therefor, of a hinge for said cover comprising a pivoted lever pivoted to said body and cover, an extensible lever pivoted to said body and cover, and pivotal connecting means between said levers, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a box-couch or similar article having a body portion and a cover therefor, of a hinge for said cover comprising a bell-crank lever pivoted to said body and cover, an extensible lever consisting of a tubular portion and a rod slidably mounted therein, said extensible lever pivoted to said body and cover, and a pivotal connection between said levers, substantially as described.

3. In combination with aboX-couch or similar article having a body portion and a cover therefor, of a hinge for said cover comprising a lever pivoted to the body and cover, an extensible lever consisting of a tubular portion and a rod slidably mounted therein, said extensible lever pivoted to the body and cover, and pivotal connections between said levers adapted to rock the said leverssiinultancously inopposite directions, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a box-couch or similar article, having a body portion and a cover therefor, a hinge for said cover comprising a pivoted lever, a pivoted extensible lever and pivotalconnectin g means between said levers adapted to rock said levers in opposite directions simultaneously, of a spring adapted to counteract the weight of said cover, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In combination with a box-couch or similar article, having a body portion and a cover therefor, a hinge for said cover comprising a lever pivoted to said body and cover, an extensible lever consisting of a tubular portion and a rod slidably mounted therein, said extensible lever pivoted to said body and cover, and pivotal connecting means between said levers adapted to rock said levers in opposite directions simultaneous1y,of a spring adapted to counteract the weight of the cover, substantially as and for the purpose described.

TrioMAs KEEL Y.

\Vitn esses:

ALBERT B. BLAoKwooD, W. O. BLAoKwooD. 

